The Recount Primer

Virginia Board of Elections employees count the receipts from voting machines in 2006 in Richmond. It’s possible the state could see a recount in its Senate race this year.

It’s the seven-letter word that operatives and politicians dread: recount. The process can drag out an expensive race long past Election Day.

Just ask Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.), who officially won his seat after eight months of legal wrangling in a recount following the 2008 elections. The process is even more common in House races — several of which had recounts in 2010.

The recount process varies by state, which is why national parties already have attorneys on standby in key battlegrounds. Here’s your guide to the process in states with top Senate races and “orphan states” where there are many competitive House races but nothing else of note at the top of the ticket.

Arizona

The threshold: There’s an automatic recount if the margin between the top two candidates is equal to or less than one-tenth of 1 percent, or if the margin is less than 200 votes for statewide office.The process: The courts order county recorders to start the recount process, which includes resetting the machines and retabulating results via a process approved by the secretary of state. The fine print: The candidates can’t request a recount. The automatic recount is the only recount permitted under state law.

Indiana

The threshold: Either a candidate, party chairman or voter must file for a recount. The deadline is 14 days after the election. The process: It’s run by a three-member commission that includes a Republican, a Democrat and the secretary of state (currently a Republican). The fine print: The petitioner must specify which precincts should be recounted. The cost is $10 per precinct, plus a $100 deposit, if the final margin is less than 1 percent. The cost increases if the margin is greater than that.

Nevada

The threshold: The candidates can request a recount with the secretary of state before Friday, Nov. 30. The process: The initiator, usually a candidate, selects 5 percent of precincts within each of the chosen counties. If there’s a significant discrepancy with the reported vote totals, the candidate can request a full hand recount. The fine print: The recount requestor must pay for the estimated cost of the recount at the outset.

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March 13, 2015

Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call

Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., right, hugs Harold Schaitberger, General President of the International Association of Fire Fighters, after the Congressman spoke at the IAFF's Legislative Conference General Session at the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill, March 9, 2015. The day featured addresses by members of Congress and Vice President Joe Biden.